Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine's use of the Elon Musk-owned SpaceX satellite system remains partially restricted, despite earlier signs this week that it had been fully restored.
Why it matters: The current restrictions limit the Ukrainian military from using drones to intercept Russian attack drones and from using its drones to send supplies to soldiers on the front lines, Zelensky said.
Top Republicans and Democrats alike lined up Saturday to condemn President Trump's decision to waive recent sanctions on Russia, calling it "irresponsible" and "a deal with the devil."
Why it matters: Trump already faces a bipartisan effort to overturn his Russian diesel deal when Congress returns after the election.
President Trump waived new sanctions on Russia late Friday night, saying it was in the "national interests" to hold off on the sweeping levies under the Graham Act that he signed just last month.
Why it matters: Trump is easing American pressure on Russia despite a bipartisan chorus calling for him to do the exact opposite.
President Trump is carrying his insatiable appetite for controversy into the most unforgiving stretch of the electoral calendar, fortified by a decade of political survival.
"Bottom line, it's gonna all work out. You know why? It always does," Trump told reporters this week.
Why it matters: Gone are the days of a single "October surprise," swallowed by a familiar barrage of scandals, provocations and shattered conventions that have persisted in the closing weeks of Trump's final midterm election.
Elon Musk tells biographer Walter Isaacson in a new podcast interview that the fizzled DOGE experiment, which the SpaceX and Tesla CEO once headed, proved there's "no way we were gonna solve the deficit from within the government."
"The only way we're going to solve the national debt is with AI and robots," Musk tells the author for a new podcast series, "The Builders with Walter Isaacson," premiering Tuesday. "We're not gonna solve it by trying to save our way there."
Why it matters: Musk's comments to Isaacson — author of the definitive 2023 biography, "Elon Musk" — admit that DOGE was a flop, but point to the chance that some future administration will take a new stab at the problem using ever-more-capable AI.
Black voters may determine whether Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) can build on breakthroughs in the 2026 elections.
Why it matters: This year's primaries showed that DSA's path runs through older Black voters who wield enormous influence in Democratic primaries — particularly in the South — but have been slower to embrace insurgent candidates.
White House press secretary Katie Zacharia was ousted Friday after just five days on the job, according to two senior Trump administration officials.
Why it matters: Zacharia will be the shortest-tenured press secretary in modern history, with her first and only week in the White House marked by speculation about her legal credentials and criticism of her first press briefing.
Have some sympathy for Capitol Hill's leaders next year, no matter who wins in November.
😩 Why it matters: The next Congress promises a thousand different ways to be miserable. And three of the big four leaders are expected to receive a two-year contract extension, with guaranteed long nights, bad days and short tempers.
A push for independence by vocal Canadian separatists is colliding with heightened tensions between President Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Why it matters: As internal and external feuds threaten the country, Carney is using the moment as a rallying cry for Canada's economic independence and national pride.
An October shooting by federal immigration officers in New York City has led to a head-turning show of unity from House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Why it matters: This unlikely collaboration between leaders of Democrats' competing establishment and progressive wings shows how opposing Trump-era immigration enforcement has become an area of party consensus.
The Trump administration admitted 16,292 refugees in fiscal year 2026 — almost exclusively white South Africans — after issuing an emergency declaration midyear that more than doubled the initial refugee cap.
Why it matters: The admissions cap is still far below the number of refugees admitted under previous administrations and prioritizes white South Africans based on contested claims of persecution over millions of other refugees.
President Trump said Friday that his administration did not disrupt an Elon Musk-owned satellite system used by Ukraine to wage war against Russia.
Why it matters: The restrictions imposed earlier this week on the system hampered the Ukrainian military's ability to intercept Russian attack drones for 24 hours.
It raised concerns that the Trump administration and possibly Musk were retaliating against Ukraine for its attacks on Russian oil refineries and President Volodymyr Zelensky's criticism of Trump's diesel deal with Russia.
President Trump will return to his Florida base of operations to juice in-person early voting with an Oct. 23 rally in the southwest part of the state.
Why it matters: Florida is among the GOP's least problematic states in midterms, 18 days away. But Republicans are worried about enthusiasm and turnout, even in Trump's adopted home state.
If money is momentum, Democratic Senate candidates are poised for a monumental Election Day.
"Oh my god, holy crap," said Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) when informed of Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico's $64 million haul in the third quarter of the year. "I mean, that's a number that's mind-blowing."
Why it matters: Republicans are awash in super PAC cash, but Democrats' advantage in hard dollars reveals a yawning enthusiasm gap — the kind of energy money can't buy.
Public support for Medicare for All has never been higher. But even if Democrats perform extraordinarily well in the midterm elections, they'll take control of Congress witha slate of new members who aren't fans of a single-payer health system.
Why it matters: Voters may be increasingly interested in giving Medicare for All a try, but it's still a very long way from becoming reality.
MAGA activists are pushing for President Trump to resort to extraordinary measures — including martial law — if they believe the midterm elections are "rigged."
Why it matters: Some of the proposals go far beyond Trump's legal authority — and there's no evidence that the elections will be rigged. But people in this orbit have close access to the president.
White House press secretary Katie Zacharia said Thursday that she failed the bar exam and never retook it, explaining that she had planned to move to China after graduating from law school and considered the exam results "inconsequential."
Why it matters: Zacharia's comments during an interview on Fox News' "Hannity" come amid scrutiny of her legal credentials and her use of the title "lawyer" despite not being licensed to practice law.
Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins and her Democratic challenger Troy Jackson were sparring in a testy debate Thursday night when a protester loudly interrupted them.
"So this is obviously one of Troy's supporters," Collins said.
"Oh, shut up," Jackson shot back. "I don't even know that kid."
Why it matters: Collins and Jackson are competing in one of a handful of races that will determine the Senate majority.
President Trump is preemptively blaming Sen. John Cornyn and Karl Rove for "doing everything possible to make it hard for Ken Paxton" to win the Texas Senate race.
Why it matters: The president is publicly spinning what would be a disaster for Republicans on election night. Texas hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1988.
